1972 AD - 4 June - December
"The Sunningdale Agreement."
1972 AD June:
In the
6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9
Counties in the
Ulster Province,
that were still under the British Conservative Government's
control, the
British
Imperial Military Forces there decided to back off the
Ascendancy
Unionists and let them do whatever
they wanted to do, but despite this, there was still to be further "confrontation" at the
barricades set up by the Unionists
in
Ainsworth Avenue,
off of the
Shankhill Road, involving
5,000
members of the Unionist
Defence Force
/ U.D.F and
3 British
Imperial Military Forces, but they reached a "compromise.
June13th:
In these
6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties
in the
Ulster Province,
the "Provisional Anti - Treaty I.R.A. / P.I.R.A / Provos"
offered to call a
"ceasefire," and for
William Whitelaw the appointed
British Secretary of State in
these 6 Counties to go to
Derry in
Co. Derry to the
Falls area, the Bogside
area, and
the
Creggan
"No Go"
areas to discuss a
"truce,"
but he "refused" to meet with them to even
"discuss" what they had in mind so
John Hume from the
"political" Social Democratic Labour Party
/
S.D.L.P. persuaded the "Anti - Treaty
P.I.R.A. / Provos" then
to allow him to
"personally" intervene,
and they agreed, subject to
Gerry Adams being "released" from prison to represent them also.
Gerry Adams, had
previously been among those Irish Catholics "Interned
without Trial" for being
the commander of the
Belfast Brigade,
as they wanted him to be involved in the "negotiations," to which
William Whitelaw then agreed, but their other
condition was for "political" status for "political"
prisoners to which he would "not agree," as
British Law
never did recognize "political status" in
any of their Imperial prisons.
June 15th: In these
6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9
Counties
in the
Ulster Province,
William Whitelaw,
the appointed British Secretary of State in these
6
Counties in Ulster Province, met with
John Hume and
Patrick Devlin, the leaders of the
S.D.L. Party,
and Thomas Caldwell, an
Independent M.P.,who was
a
T.D. from
Dublin,
and a civil servant from
Stormont, and they made an
"arrangement" and they then advised the leaders of the
"Anti - Treaty Provisional I.R.A.,"
Sean Mac Stiofain / John Stephenson in these
6
Counties in Ulster Province,
and
David
/ Daithi
O Connell in
Donegal in Co. Donegal in the
north of the
Republic of Ireland,
that the
British
Conservative Government, would respond to an "unconditional ceasefire.
June 20th:In these
6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties in the
Ulster Province,
William Whitelaw
the British appointed Secretary of State in these
6 Counties in Ulster
Province, announced that
Unionist Loyalist and
Irish
Republican "prisoners" would now be given,
"Special Category"
status.
June 22nd:
The "Anti - Treaty I.R.A."
responded in
Dublin
in the Irish Republic, by announcing
that an "indefinite unconditional ceasefire" was to begin on
June 26th at midnight, but despite
this over the weekend, in the
6 Counties "artificially
partitioned" from the
9 Counties
in the
Ulster Province, before the
"Truce"
was
to come into effect,
6 more
people were to be "killed," directly related to the activities of the "Anti -
Treaty
I.R.A." and on the
Monday before the
"Truce" began, there was to be the
"fiercest
fighting" yet, and another member of the
British
Imperial Military
Forces was "killed" just before the midnight "deadline" arrived.
June 26th:
In these 6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties
in the
Ulster Province, the
"Anti - Treaty
P.I.R.A. / Provisional IRA / Provos" announced an
"indefinite ceasefire" in these
6 Counties in Ulster
Province.
June 27th:
The next day
in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, the
"political"
Provisional Sinn Fein Party
announced
"preconditions" for an indefinite truce, which included that,
"The British Imperial Government in these
6 Counties
"artificially
partitioned" from the
9 Counties in the
Ulster Province,
must
release "all internees" held under their legislation of "Interment
without Trial," repeal the
Special Powers Act, lift the
"ban" on their
political association in these
6
Counties
in Ulster Province, bring
back in "proportional
representation" in the elections, "drop" the
Oath of Allegiance
to the
British Crown for all
office
holders. (They left out a "total amnesty" and
the "removal" of the
British Military Forces
until another
time.)
William Whitehall
the British appointed Secretary of State in these
6 Counties in Ulster
Province was
agreeable to "some" of the proposals, but not all, and
nevertheless, was encouraged by the "ceasefire," as there was
now only isolated incidents, but despite all of this there was still no relief from the
"sectarian killings."
July 7th:
In these
6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9
Counties
in the
Ulster Province,
after the "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A. /
Provisional IRA / Provos" had
obtained "no results" from their "ceasefire" at all, they met
secretly again with the
British
Conservative Government
in
London, after being flown there by
the R.A.F., and they now
"added"
3
extra demands to their previous
proposals, including, "Total amnesty,"
a statement of intention to "withdraw" the British Imperial Military
Forces from
Ireland within
3
years, and the "right" of the whole population of
Ireland to Self Determination."
No agreement was reached on these proposals, but the
British Conservative
Government
issued a
"Statement," declaring no opposition to a
United Ireland.
The "Anti -
Treaty P.I.R.A.
/
Provisional IRA" and the
British Imperial Military
Forces in these
6 Counties in Ulster
Province now
moved
about freely, with
the "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A."
bearing arms in
their own areas, and there were no more "indiscriminate searches" carried out
on the people in these 6 Counties in
Ulster Province, their cars and their
property.
July 9th: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, the Central Citizens Defence Committee, intended to move 16 Irish Catholic families into the "empty houses," which had been vacated by Ascendancy Unionists in Lenaddoon Avenue in West Belfast in Co. Antrim, and the Unionist Defence Force / U.D.F. then came out and "warned" them that if any Irish Catholics were put there, they would be "burnt out" and because of these threats the British Imperial Military Forces vetoed the idea, but the Committee wishing to prove their point about "discrimination" pushed on regardless. They were backed up by 1,000 Irish Catholics, who came into "confrontation" with the British Imperial Military Force, where Seamus Twomey the "Anti - Treaty I.R.A." commander there, argued with and "warned" the British Imperial Army officer of the consequences of stopping them, so the British Imperial Military Force then began firing "gas" and rubber bullets, and 2 of the men there were "arrested." Seamus Twomey then informed the British Imperial Military commander that he had "violated" the Truce, and the "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A. / Provisional IRA" demanded their release from William Whitelaw, who "refused," saying they were arrested for "inciting" a riot. The "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A." then began returning the fire in the area, and it was "full on" once again, and within half an hour the "Anti - Treaty Provisional I.R.A." Headquarters in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, issued orders, stating the "ceasefire" had been "broken" by the British Imperial Military Forces, and it was now over after only 13 days, and all "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A. " members were to resume their previous action. During the Truce, hundreds of men had been "released" from Long Kesh Jail in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province, and 2 "explosions" now occurred in Belfast in Co. Antrim, and over the next few days, 8 more members of the British Imperial Military Forces, and 1 Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C. policeman was "killed," and once again there was a further increase in the "sectarian killings."
July 21st: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, "Bloody Friday" now also occurred in Belfast in Co. Antrim, as the "Anti - Treaty Provisional I.R.A." under Seamus Twomey, set off a series of 19 bombs and although prior warnings had been given to each position, still 11 more people were "killed," including 2 more members of the British Imperial Military Forces, a young girl and a boy, and 130 were injured so the British Conservative Government decided to take on the "No Go" areas, and 7 individual major British Military Brigades were rushed over from England into these 6 Counties in Ulster Province, to be placed in Belfast in Co. Antrim within a week. (The British Conservative Government now had a 21,000 British Military Force in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province.)
July 22nd: 4 Irish Catholics were "killed" by a passing car at Anderstown chased by the "Official" Unionist R.U.C, but a British Army Captain and a Sargent were only charged with "attempted murder."
July 30th /
Sunday:
William Whitelaw the British
appointed Secretary of State for
the
6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the
9
Counties in the
Ulster Province,
announced that the British
Imperial Military Forces were to conduct
Operation
Motorman
in the
Irish Catholic areas, and they removed
all the barricades and put in
British
Imperial Military Forces, who were backed up this time by
Centurion Tanks weighing
at least
50
tons each.
(During this particular conflict, 2
Irish Republicans were
"shot dead," with
no
losses by the British
Imperial Military Forces, either Military
soldiers or
Ascendancy "Official"" Unionist R.U.C. police.) Most of the
Ascendancy
Unionist barricades
were also removed, and the Unionists
themselves removed the others. In the morning
3 car
"bombs" were set off in
Claudy, situated 9
miles south of Derry
in
Co. Derry, where
6 more people were "killed" and the
"Anti - Treaty
P.I.R.A. / Provisional IRA" denied any responsibility for them, and
5
men in
Derry were then
"arrested" as suspected "Anti - Treaty
I.R.A." men.
August: In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, all of the barricades were now "gone" from the individual areas and streets.
August:
The "Anti
- Treaty Provisional I.R.A."
blew up a boat killing
Lord
Mountbatten
and his
grandson.
Jack Lynch,
the
Prime Minister
of
the
Republic of Ireland, carried out
a further crackdown on "Anti - Treaty I.R.A."
activities there, and
Sean Mac Stiofain
the
Chief of Staff of the
"Anti - Treaty
P.I.R.A." was "arrested" there and
imprisoned for
6 months and was to go on a
"hunger strike" and the
"Anti - Treaty
P.I.R.A." were to try to rescue him while he was in the
Dublin Hospital,
and
4 of
them were injured during the gun
battle that followed and Sean Mac Stiofain was to "recognize" the court in which he was
tried in the
Irish Republic, and this was to cost him his
"position" in the "Anti - Treaty P.I.R.A." and there
was now to be increased "bank robberies" in the
Irish Republic.
In these
6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties in the
Ulster Province,
the
British
Imperial Government's Military
Forces
refused to "honour" the agreement
to counter the Ascendancy
Unionist militarism, and
William Whitelaw the British Government's
appointed Secretary of State in
these 6 Counties in Ulster
Province stated, "I
recorded that the histories of our
2 Countries give the
Irish
grounds for suspicion,
while
the "minorities" in the north have been
"deprived" of their rights" and he
eventually persuaded
the "Official" Unionists, the
political Social Democratic Party
/
S.D.L.P. and the
"moderate" Unionist
Alliance Party
to form an
Executive
for "power
sharing."
September 25th:
In these 6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the
9
Counties in the
Ulster Province,
further talks were carried out by the
British
Conservative Government, set up by
William Whitelaw
at
Darlington in
England, and although
all political parties
were invited to attend only the
N.I. Labour
Party, the
Alliance Party
and the "Official" Unionists
turned up, while the
S.D.L. Party
/ Social
Democratic Labour Party stated that, "They were not
interested until "Internment
without Trial" was "ended," and the
Democratic Unionist Party under
the leadership of the
Rev.
Ian Paisley, the extremist
religious fanatic, would not even "talk"
to the
Irish Nationalists. Despite
it's poor start, it was to eventually lead on to the
Sunningdale
Agreement,
under the
Chairmanship
of
Brian Faulkner the "last"
Ascendancy"Official" Unionist Prime Minister in these 6 Counties
in Ulster Province, but it was to only operate for a
"few" months
and
William Whitelaw
published
a discussion paper on forming a government in these
6 Counties
in Ulster Province, which would involve
"participation" by the Irish Republic Government in
Dublin in
some form, which
was acceptable
to
Jack Lynch the
Republic of Ireland Prime Minster and the
S.D.L.
Party
in these 6 Counties
in Ulster Province,
but the Ascendancy
Unionists were not
interested.
In these
6 Counties
"artificially partitioned" from the 9
Counties
in the
Ulster Province,
the
Unionist Defence
Association / U.D.A. was founded and the
Unionist
Defence Regiment
of part
time soldiers was introduced, to add to the
21,000
British Imperial Military Armed
Forces and
the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist
R.U.C. police in these
6 Counties in Ulster
Province,
and the
British Conservative
Government
announced it
was also going to introduce
Diplock Courts
with no juries, specifically to be used to fight "terrorism."
December 1st:
In the
Irish Republic
2 "explosions" occurred in
Dublin,
and
Jack Lynch the
Prime Minister
increased the "powers" of the
Irish Garda Siochana
/ police.
In these
6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the
9 Counties in the
Ulster Province, the
"Anti - Treaty Provisional IRA /
P.I.R.A.
/ Provos" declared a
3 day "truce"
over the Christmas
period.
In these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, 488 more people had met with a "violent death," during this year, which also included many more "sectarian" killings, against the previous total of 120 in 1971 and the N.I. Community Relations Commission publicly stated that the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist R.U.C. police there, were not doing "enough" to combat the "intimidation" being carried out against the Irish Catholic population there, while often "siding" with the Unionist Defence Association / U.D.A.
One bright light in the whole sordid affair in these 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, was that the people in these 6 Counties in Ulster Province, who were now "eligible to vote," had risen to 1,031,694 which was a 50 % increase on the situation that existed only 5 years before in 1967 under the Ascendancy "Official" Unionist Stormont Government before the advent of the Civil Rights Associations.